INGREDIENTS

Yeast Dough

• 375 g wheat flour (type 550)
• 1 packet of dry yeast (8 g)
• 60 g sugar
• 1 untreated lemon
• 80 ml lukewarm milk
• 2 eggs
• 100 g butter cubes at room temperature

Filling

• 300 g frozen sour cherries (alternatively, use tinned cherries and 80–100 ml of juice)
• 50 g sugar
• 20 g cornstarch

Also

• Butter for greasing
• Wheat flour for working

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Wash the lemon with hot water, dry it and grate the zest directly into the bowl, e.g. with the ZWILLING Pro Zester. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice from one half and set aside for the filling. Add the lukewarm milk, eggs and the diced butter to the bowl.
2. Knead with the ZWILLING XTEND Hand Mixer for about 5 minutes to a smooth yeast dough. Form a ball, cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until the volume has increased significantly.
3. Meanwhile, for the filling, place the sour cherries and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Blend using the ZWILLING XTEND Hand Blender. Mix the cornstarch with the lemon juice and pour into the fruit mixture. Bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly, and thicken to a firm but still creamy consistency. Allow it to cool slightly.
4. Grease a loaf pan (approx. 25/30 cm long) with butter. On a lightly floured work surface, briefly knead the yeast dough again and roll out into a rectangle (40 x 30 cm). Spread the fruit filling evenly over the dough, leaving a border of about 1 cm.
5. Roll up the dough from the short side and cut the roll in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Twist the two halves together, cut side up, to form a braid. Place it in the loaf pan and let it rise again for about 20 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 180°C top/bottom heat (160°C fan).
7. Bake the babka on the lowest rack of the oven for about 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Once baked, remove the babka from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. After it cools slightly, take it out of the pan and allow it to cool completely.

Tip

If the babka gets too dark during baking, it can easily be covered with a piece of baking paper.

Info

The ZWILLING XTEND Hand Mixer from the Cordless System offers powerful and convenient operation – completely wireless. The powerful motor and precise speed settings ensure that even heavy dough can be kneaded effortlessly and evenly.